A Spirited Experience
by Peach the Hedgehog
Summary: A mistake at the subway causes an unexpected trip to a faraway land she never knew truly existed. But she gets caught up in a spirited adventure, and getting home is the least of her concerns.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Zelda series, especially Spirit Tracks.

**AN: I've been wanting to write a new Zelda story for a while now. I've also had a recent interest in Spirit Tracks, so I thought I would do a story based on it. With this new fic comes a goal. I know I have a habit of starting stories and taking forever to finish them. So, I decided to start a new story, with the goal of finishing it within a year. Thanks goes to Awesome Rapidash for helping me with this chapter!**

**I will admit that the commercial for the game inspired the beginning. There will be spoilers for Spirit Tracks in later chapters.**

A slender young brunette descended the stairway and stepped out onto the crowded subway platform. She moaned softly, holding her head in obvious discomfort. With what little strength she had remaining in her petite form, she moved through the crowd. She sighed, trying to ignore the throbbing in her head and focus on the task at hand, getting on the subway and returning home.

The day had started out well enough; her mother had asked her to go to the city and run a couple of errands for her. Since she didn't have a car and the train would take too long, she had decided to ride the subway. It was actually pretty exciting for her; after all, it would be her first time on the underground train!

However, things seemed to go wrong almost as soon as she'd stepped out into the noise and rush of the city. First she'd got lost and couldn't find the store, then the noise and crowds of the city had caused the young brunette to develop a throbbing headache that made it hard for her to focus.

Christy managed a small sigh as she continued to move forward. She knew that her mom would be disappointed, but she was pretty sure she that once she explained what happened, her mom would understand. Right now the brown haired girl knew that going home and getting some rest was the best thing for her.

The girl made her way over to an automated ticket machine and paused for a moment, looking at the many buttons on the panel. Her mind felt foggy and she was having a hard time concentrating. Trying to focus as best she could, she reached into her pocket and removed some money. Carefully she put each dollar into the slot in the machine, one at a time and selected a destination. A ticket was ejected a moment later and Christy took hold of it. She looked closely at the small yellow colored piece of paper, trying to focus her blurry vision on the writing.

Christy slowly nodded as she read the words on the ticket. She then headed carefully over to where the train was scheduled to arrive. She closed her eyes for a moment. Her head hurt so much, and all she really wanted was to go home right now.

Most of the subway trains looked the same, constantly arriving and departing. Christy watched as the trains rolled past her, looking for the one that she thought was right. She headed toward it and stepped inside the car. There were many empty seats so she quickly chose a place and sat down. Even though the seats were simple molded plastic and not very comfy, it felt so good to get to sit down and take the load of her feet.

After a few minutes the train began to move, leaving the lighted platform and heading into the darkness of the tunnel. As the train rumbled along its subterranean route at times the lights in the car would flicker on and off. Christy shook her head and closed her eyes, feeling that the blinking lights would not help her condition right now. When she heard a voice asking to see her ticket, she held it up, but kept her head lowered.

Time passed and Christy didn't know how long she'd been on the train. For the most part, she'd kept her eyes closed, trying to ignore the flickering lights and the noise of the train. After a while a man shuffled towards her. "Can I sit here?" he asked, noticing the empty seat beside her.

Christy managed to look up briefly; her mind was still somewhat hazy so she didn't even notice the clothes he was wearing. She lowered her head again and tugged on the short sleeve of her pink shirt. "Yeah, sure," she murmured.

"Thanks," the man said as he took his place next to her. He looked the girl and noticed the way she held her head. "Hey are you alright?"

The brown eyed girl slowly shook her head as the lights flickered on and off again. "I… I just have a headache," she admitted weakly.

The man nodded slowly and started to rub his chin. "Do you expect to see someone, then?" he asked the girl.

Christy gazed at the man beside her, and despite the way she felt, confusion could clearly be seen in her eyes. "N… no, unless you mean my mom. I thought this was the train home…"

"Well for many people, it would be home," the man replied. "I'm sure you know the destination already. After all, why would you have boarded a train to Hyrule?"

The haziness lifted from her mind and shock could clearly be seen in her brown eyes. "W… what? Did you just say Hyrule?"

"Of course I did," the man answered with a smile. "Where else?"

A sickening feeling entered the girl's stomach, and it wasn't because of her earlier condition. Either she boarded the wrong train or this strange man was messing with her head! "But Hyrule only exists in a game!"

"A game?" the man repeated. "That's just absurd. Hyrule is a real place, after all!"

Finding that she couldn't figure out what to say, she fell silent. How could Hyrule be a real place? It was just a made up kingdom in a series of games known as the Legend of Zelda. In fact, she was pretty sure of that. Yet, this strange man told her that it was real.

Actually, now that she got a good look at him, there was something different about his clothes. He wore a simple shirt and a vest and a pair of pants. The way they looked almost reminded her of old fashioned clothes. Those made her feel out of place with her shirt and sweat pants.

And was it her imagination, or did the train suddenly look different than it was when she came in? Instead of the cold seats she was sitting on before, she found that each seat was now covered in red cushions, and the lights were not blinking on and off anymore.

A look of panic suddenly filled her eyes as she realized the truth. _"Oh, no, I got on the wrong train!"_

The man grabbed the girl's shoulders and started to shake her. "Hey, snap out of it," he told her as the door to the train car opened. "We have arrived!"

The bright sunlight came in through the open doorway which told the girl they were outside of the tunnels. A gasp escaped her lips as the brunette walked toward it and headed outside. The fresh air felt really good and the sun was bright enough to cause the girl to shield her eyes. She could see some trees, a grassy field, and a castle in the distance.

Christy walked a couple of steps on the lush green grass, unaware of her mistake until she heard the sound of the whistle, and the train wheels moving on the tracks! She spun around just in time to see the train heading out of sight.

"This isn't good! Now what do I do?"

"Are you lost, child?" a mysterious voice asked behind the girl.

Christy turned toward the sound of the voice, surprised to see someone that was covered in a blue robe. She could tell the mystery person was a girl because of the voice and the face that was under the hood. Eyes that were as black as coal seemed to stare at her, and that made the brunette very nervous.

"Are you lost, child?" the woman repeated.

The girl slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I boarded the wrong train on accident…"

The woman held up a hand to silence the brunette. "You don't have to say more." She stared into the girl's brown eyes, which caused her to step a back a bit. "Because of your mistake, you wound up here. And now, at the moment, you do not have a way home. However, there is something you can do."

The mysterious woman turned toward the horizon and pointed to the castle. "If it is answers you need, to find your way home, then you should make a trip to Hyrule Castle. It is there that you will meet Princess Zelda."

"P… Princess Zelda?" Christy repeated in surprise. But after she asked that question, she slowly shook her head. Of course she heard this woman right. If Hyrule existed, the Princess Zelda would as well.

"That's right," the woman replied as she looked toward the brown haired girl. "But heed my words child. This journey will be a difficult one for you. But, if you manage to get through it, then you will be where you want to be. However, should you fail…?"

"Why are you talking like that?" Christy questioned, interrupting the woman. "You're really creeping me out."

The woman chuckled slightly. "Am I?" she questioned. "Well, you will soon see what I am talking about, child. If you wish to know more, seek help from Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle." The woman turned around and started to walk away, leaving the girl alone.

Christy shook her head and crossed her arms. "I'm not sure if I trust that woman," she said to no one in particular. "But, I do have nowhere to go right now. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to meet with Zelda." Then a frown crossed her face. "How am I going to get in there to see her though? It won't be easy to get into the castle with all those guards around. And it's not like I'm anyone important, so I can't go through the front door…"

The brunette sighed, but turned her attention to the castle in the distance. She would have to think of something by the time she got there. After all, it wouldn't do her any good to stand around and do nothing. And now that she thought about it, it sounded pretty exciting to meet Princess Zelda in person! Even if she was only here for a little while, she didn't want to pass up that chance!

But little did she know that as soon as she took her first step toward the castle, that she set the gears of fate in motion.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Legend of Zelda, including Spirit Tracks.

**AN: From this chapter onward, there will be spoilers to Spirit Tracks. Of course, there will be some changes and added stuff as well. **

Christy sat on a patch of grass, looking up to the starry night sky. A crescent moon could be seen through the canopy of leaves and it was just a sight to behold. The brown haired girl had to admit that it was very beautiful to look at.

And yet, she was alone in a world she didn't think was real. Her mother was probably worried sick about her and she had to admit that she missed her. She even missed her siblings, to whom she would bicker with at times, as most siblings tend to do. Among the ones she missed was someone she held near and dear to her heart.

As she reached up to her neck, she felt the golden chain of the necklace she wore. On the necklace was a beautiful pink and blue gem that was something like a charm. Christy held it in her hand and brought it to her face to get a closer look at it. As she did, she remembered how she got this necklace.

It was a day that she knew she would never forget. Though it was her birthday that day, at the time, she thought it was going to be just like all of the birthdays she had every year. However, it was special this time when a brown haired young man came to the door.

Christy had blushed, though she was happy he came by. But he didn't come empty handed. He had his hands behind his back. When she had asked him about it, he showed her a box and when she opened it, the girl was surprised to discover the charm, resting on a black cushion. She had no idea how much money he had to pay for it, and she felt he didn't have to go as far as he did. He'd just smiled as he gently wiped the tears from her eyes and helped put the charm around her neck.

"Tom," she whispered as she gazed at the pink and blue jewel. At this moment, she felt the tears in her eyes as homesickness hit her at full force. Right now, home was where she really wanted to be.

Quickly she wiped her eyes with one hand while releasing the jewel, letting it bounce gently on her chest. "Just stop it," she ordered herself. "Like he told you, crying won't get you anywhere. You have to do what you can now."

The brown haired girl tried to remind herself how exciting it would be to meet Princess Zelda in person. She hoped that in doing so, she could keep her mind off of home. While it didn't work completely, her mind began to wander...

On her way here, Christy noticed that there were many train tracks around the land. She had never heard of train tracks in Hyrule before, but there was something else that was odd about them. Most tracks usually had these wooden ties on the tracks, and in a line. But these tracks seemed to use stone, and these ones were triangle shaped.

Her head began to hurt from thinking too hard, along with the headache she had before and she could feel sleepiness wash over her. Laying her back against the nearest tree, she closed her eyes as a soft breeze gently caressed her cheek. The sounds of the night filled her ears and a small smile crossed her face.

* * *

It was another peaceful day in Aboda Village. The sun was shining brightly, the bees were buzzing, making their honey, and of course there was that little boy always making trouble. Nothing much seemed to be different.

In one house near the corner of the village, an old man hid behind a bunch of pictures, telling a tale he only told once a year. He usually paid a fee for something like this. However, he always made an exception for his roommate; a blonde haired, blue eyed young man who was an apprentice engineer. Normally, he would expect his youthful roommate to be listening to every word he was saying.

However, he was soon to find that this was not the case.

Niko poked his head out from behind the small theater that he used for telling these stories. "Do I know how to tell a story or what?" he asked the young man. "I like to call it 'Spirits and Demons… at War!' You know I only tell this story once a year! And it's a blasted masterpiece! A… a blasterpiece!"

It was then that the bald headed old man noticed the blonde haired boy was lying down on the wooden floor below him. "What's this? You fell asleep during my magnum opus?"

The young man groaned a little and slowly opened up his eyes. He turned to look at Niko, but he was still so sleepy. "Hm? S… sorry, Niko," he apologized tiredly.

"I really don't believe this," the old man muttered. "There are many people out there who would love to be in your position, Link. You get to see my work for free, because you are my roommate." Niko started to pace, using his cane to support his steps. "And, I'm not getting any younger, you know? In the end, this story may be the only proof that shows I existed. Don't you think you can pay attention to my final creation for just one minute?"

For a moment, he gazed at the young man, who looked like he was still getting his bearings. "Are you listening, Link?"

"Kinda," Link murmured sleepily. "I'm really sorry, Niko. It's just, I've heard this tale so many times already."

"Okay, okay, I get the hint," Niko remarked. "Sorry to bore you."

Before the young man could make a comment, he could hear the door opening behind him. Niko looked up to see the guest. At first glance, one might suspect he was actually a pirate instead of engineer. It had to be his red bandanna, and the outfit he wore, which was mostly red. He also seemed to have a tattoo, which was mostly covered by his clothes, as you could only see a swirl on his chest. Not that it bothered the old man however. He used to be a pirate back in the day.

"Look, it's your mentor! Hello there, Alfonzo!"

Link turned around to see Alfonzo towering above him. He crossed his arms and gave the young man a stern look. "Why are you still here, Link? Come on now; wipe the sleep from your eyes!" Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere, he bent down and picked up the drowsy young man, and began to shake him, telling him to 'wake up' several times. It was enough to make anyone dizzy.

"Today is very important day! You have an audience with the Princess today!" Alfonzo went on.

A look of shock filled Link's eyes and he became more awake. "What?!"

With that, Alfonzo just dropped the boy in the black engineer clothing to the ground. He put his hand to his forehead and sighed. "Don't tell me you forgot? How could you forget something so important? You know if you don't pay attention, you won't amount to much."

Link held his head, trying to get his thoughts in order again. It was bad enough that he didn't sleep well the night before, but the man above him didn't have to shake and drop him.

"You want your Engineer Certificate don't you?" Alfonzo asked suddenly. "Well, the Graduation Ceremony is at the castle! And the one who does the honors is Princess Zelda herself!"

Now Link was fully awake. Of course, now he remembered. He had been training his whole life to be an engineer. And for a long time now, he wanted that certificate, to make him a true engineer and not just some apprentice. And today was the day that he was going to get it! He was just so excited about it from the night before that he didn't get much sleep. It was no wonder he slept during Niko's story then.

"I'm going to the station now," Alfonzo remarked. "Meet me there, and don't be late, got it? Good. See you, Niko." He turned and walked out of the house as Link finally reached his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. His arms hurt from his mentor's tight grip, and falling on his rear didn't help matters either.

Niko sighed a bit, and Link turned his attention to his roommate. Now that he was more awake, he noticed that the old man was wearing his usual red and white striped shirt and black pants. "You know, it is honor to become an official train engineer. You mustn't be late! So off the castle with you! Scoot!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Link said as a huge smile crossed his face. As if he would want to be late for a day that was going to be so special to him.

* * *

Christy sighed to herself as she walked under the heat of the sun. She didn't know how long she had been walking, but it felt like forever. Her legs were getting sore, and she wished she could sit down, but she felt she had to see Zelda as soon as she could. If only she could rest though, it wouldn't be so bad.

She stopped at the edge of one of the tracks and in the distance; she could hear the sound of a train and that made her perk up. Of course! The answer was right in front of her! Maybe she could take a train to the castle. Not only could she rest, it would be so much faster than walking.

The brown haired girl looked to her left and saw a steam train coming in her direction. She could see the engineer and while she realized this wasn't exactly a train station, maybe she could convince him to stop. She waved her arms over her head and called in a loud voice, "Hey! Can you please stop?"

For a moment, the train was going so fast, she was afraid it would pass her by. A look of relief filled the girl's eyes when the train began to slow and came to a stop in front of her. The engineer, who was dressed in black engineer clothing, looked at the brunette and smiled kindly.

"Why hello there, young lady, what are you doing out in a place like this?"

Christy was about to open her mouth to speak when she realized he probably wouldn't believe her. After all, a train that could somehow go across the different worlds didn't seem logical. Even the man she met yesterday didn't believe her when she said Hyrule was in a game.

"Well, I'm actually on my way to the castle," the brown haired girl finally answered, jumping to the end of her story.

"Wow, you were just going to walk there?" the engineer asked in surprise. "It's quite the walk from here."

"Yeah, I know that," Christy agreed with a nod of her head. "That's when I heard your train coming down the tracks. I was wondering… could you could give me a lift?"

"That wouldn't be a problem," the man replied. "All I need is five rupees for the ride."

At the mention of the rupees, Christy frowned a little. Of course, she should have realized that you would have to pay rupees in Hyrule, considering that was the currency that was used in all of the Zelda games. She didn't have that kind of money on her. The girl sighed softly as she put her hands in her pockets. She was about to apologize and say she didn't have any money. Just then her eyes narrowed as she felt something smooth against her hand.

Curling her fingers around the object, she pulled it out of her pocket, and opened up her hand. A gasp of surprise escaped her lips when she saw a beautiful blue gem resting on her palm. She reached her hand into her pocket again, and removed three more of them.

"Hey, are you okay?" the engineer suddenly asked. "I told you five, not twenty."

"_These are rupees?"_ Christy thought in surprise. For a moment, she just sort of stood there. She didn't have any rupees before! All she had was the shopping money that her mother had given her, which was twenty dollars after she had spent the rest of her money on the train tickets.

It was then she remembered when she was on the other train it had changed on her when she was on her way to Hyrule. Could it be that the money was affected as well? It was the only thing she could think of, since a blue rupee equaled five rupees and she had four of them. It matched the amount she had exactly.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" the man asked, his voice hinting concern.

"Hm?" Christy noticed the way the engineer was staring at her and she quickly shook her head. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something." The brunette picked up one of the blue rupees in her free hand, and handed it to the engineer. "Here you go."

The man's smile returned as he accepted the blue colored rupee. She did appear to space out just then, but the girl seemed to be fine now. "Thank you. All aboard!"

Christy only grinned when she heard that line. She had never heard it in real life before. The door on the side of the train opened and she climbed aboard the train. She noticed that the train car was completely empty as she picked out a seat and sat down.

The moment she was seated, the door was closed and the train began to roll down the tracks. Once again, it felt so good to give her feet a rest. As she heard the train whistle blow, she found herself thinking of home again.

But for now, she had to go to Hyrule Castle and meet the Princess first.

No sooner did she think that though did she feel her stomach rumbling. It suddenly occurred to the girl that she hadn't eaten in a long time. Not since she left home yesterday, actually.

"Okay, maybe I'll get something to eat first," Christy said softly to herself.

* * *

Time passed, but it was hard to say how long. Christy smiled as she looked out the window, watching the scenery go by. As the town came into view and the train came to a stop, a wide smile spread across her face. She had never seen anything like it in real life before.

"Next stop, Castle Town!" the engineer announced in a loud voice.

"Thank you!" the girl called as the door to the train opened. She stepped outside and looked at everything around her. The houses were made out of stone, and there was a beautiful fountain in the middle of the town. Villagers went this way and that way as they went about their daily routines. At the far edge of the town, there was pen with cuccoos in it. At least, that was what the chickens were called in Hyrule anyway.

"Hm." The girl looked around, tapping her cheek with her finger. "I wonder if there is a place to eat around here. Like a restaurant…"

After walking around the town for a bit, she found a building with a sign in front of it. The words 'The Third Rail' were painted on the sign. Sniffing the air, a wonderful smell filled her nose. Thinking this had to be a place where she could sit down and have something to eat; she opened the wooden door and walked inside.

While it didn't look too busy at the moment, it was still something different. It just looked so old fashioned compared to the restaurants she was used to seeing back home. It wasn't very fancy either, but then again, she never liked eating from fancy places. She was more into fast food, as she usually couldn't stand the food that was served in a fancy restaurant.

A middle aged man walked up to the girl as she took a seat at the table that was closest to the door. "Welcome to the Third Rail. May I take your order, miss?" he asked as he handed her a menu.

Christy looked over the choices and noticed that while some of it sounded like something from back home, others did not. Still, when she found scrambled eggs on the list, she smiled to herself. It had been quite some time since she had eggs for breakfast. And to her, she didn't have breakfast yet, since it was still her first meal today.

"Could I have some scrambled eggs and some milk?" she asked.

"Of course," the man said with a smile as he took the menu away from the girl. As he left, Christy's mind wandered again, but not to home this time. She wondered what Princess Zelda was really like. In the many different games, she didn't act the same in all of them. So, she wondered what was different about this Hyrule's Zelda.

Now that she thought about it, maybe she would meet Link too! The thought of that made her even more excited. It would be so cool to meet the hero of Hyrule alongside the Princess!

A frown crossed her face as she remembered her worry from earlier. She never did figure out how she was going to be able to meet the Princess. She knew how hard it was to get into the castle to meet with the Princess because there would be guards all around the castle. When playing Ocarina of Time, Link had to be sneaky to get into the castle so he could meet the Princess.

"Here you go miss," a familiar voice suddenly said, taking the girl out of her thoughts. "Enjoy your meal."

"Oh, thank you," Christy said quickly as a plate of eggs was placed before her along with a glass of milk was put beside it. The aroma of the scrambled eggs filled her nose, reminding the girl how hungry she was, and why she came here in the first place. She picked up a nearby fork and put a portion of her food on it.

Her eyes lit up when she took the first bite. She had never tasted scrambled eggs this good before! Happily she continued to eat her food, and took some sips of her milk every now and then.

This caused the man to smile at the girl. "My, my, you must be really hungry. I haven't seen anyone eat like you are in such a long time."

Christy smiled a little as she picked up the napkin that had been under her fork and wiped her mouth. "Yeah, I haven't eaten in a while. This is really good!"

She was about to go back to eating when she heard a female voice talking behind her. "Have you heard? Some of the Spirit Tracks have been disappearing of late."

When she heard the woman, the brown eyed girl stopped eating to listen. _"The Spirit Tracks?"_

"Yes, I have," a young man's voice answered slowly. "Does anyone know what is really going on?"

"It's a mystery to me," the woman replied. "But if all of the Spirit Tracks disappear, the trains will be useless."

A look of horror suddenly washed over Christy's face. From just those words, she knew what they were talking about. These Spirit Tracks were the tracks that she had been seeing across the land. And, if these tracks were vanishing then that meant she couldn't go home! After all, she took a train here. It was more than likely she would need a train to go back.

Without the Spirit Tracks, she would be stuck here!

Christy quickly wiped her mouth, and reached her hand into her pocket. "I have to go," the brunette said quickly. "How much money do I have to pay?"

"It would be seven rupees, miss," the waiter answered, giving the girl a look of concern. "Why are you rushing all of a sudden?"

Taking two blue rupees out of her pocket, she stood and handed them over to the man. "I just remembered something important," she replied, doing her best to hide her nervousness.

The man stared at her but took her rupees, and gave her three green rupees back. Christy accepted the money, said a quick thank you, and rushed out of the restaurant.

"If these Spirit Tracks really are disappearing then I don't have much time left," the girl thought aloud as she looked to the castle. "I don't have time to think about this. I have no choice now… I guess I'll do what Link has done and sneak into the castle."

The thought about sneaking into the castle didn't sound like a good idea. This was real life and not a game. The chances of her actually sneaking into the castle were very slim and she knew that, since she wasn't exactly the sneakiest person around.

But she also knew that if she didn't try, then chances are she would never meet Princess Zelda. And according to that mysterious woman she met yesterday, the Princess would be able to help her get home again. Keeping these thoughts fresh in her mind, Christy made her way to the castle, with the intent of getting inside and meeting with the blonde haired Princess of Hyrule.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Legend of Zelda series, including Spirit Tracks.

Link followed the short chancellor inside the throne room. While he heard this man say that this ceremony was ridiculous, he ignored it. To him, this was most likely the most exciting day of his life!

The young man walked on the red carpet of the room as he gazed around. He had to admit, he had never seen anything like this before. At the far end of the throne room was a colored window that showed a girl with tan skin, and blonde hair. She was dressed somewhat like a pirate and she had her arms outstretched. Legends say that the girl on the window was named Tetra, one of the people who founded this kingdom a century ago.

Finally reaching the other side of the room, the chancellor, who oddly enough was wearing the two green top hats on his head, stepped to his left and stood with another guard near the wall. Link knelt down and closed his eyes. He lowered his head and waited as Alfonzo had gone over this several times before.

The soft sounds of footsteps hit the Hylians ears, letting him know that someone was approaching. Remembering what he had been taught, he kept his eyes tightly closed. However, when the sound stopped curiosity took a hold of the boy and he opened his eyes.

At first all he could see was the bottom half of a woman's dress. It was mostly light pink in color but also had some blue in the center. The dress was ordained with three golden triangles in the middle of the design. Without even thinking about it he lifted his head slightly. The rest of the dress was a dark pink in color and that the girl was wearing a pink necklace. A tiara with a pink gem in the center completed her look.

Link gasped and felt his cheeks begin to burn as he continued to look at the girl before him. She appeared to be around his age and had long blonde hair with ice blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the lights of the flickering torches. The young man knew without a doubt that the girl standing before him had to be none other than Princess Zelda!

Even though the Princess smiled at him a voice to his left called out to him. "Why you ill mannered little urchin, how dare you raise your head and gaze upon the Princess without permission!"

However before Link could even get out a word the Princess turned her gaze to the short man and without a word, she pointed her hand. She then turned her attention back to Link and the smile returned to her face. "Don't worry about Chancellor Cole," the Princess remarked. "You must be the new engineer. What is your name?"

"Um… it's Link your Highness," the young man murmured, the blush leaving his cheeks.

Zelda's smile widened as she clasped her hands together. "That's a wonderful name! Well then Link, by the power vested in me, I hereby proclaim…"

Off to Zelda's right Chancellor Cole cleared his throat. "We are wasting time here, your Highness. I suggest you hurry this up and finish this foolish ceremony!"

The Princess sighed and lowered her head. Why did the Chancellor have to go and say such things? Even he should know the important role of the Royal Engineers! However, he still considered these ceremonies to be a waste of time.

"Very well, Chancellor," Zelda said softly. She kept her head lowered until she noticed the old man approaching her from her left, Link's right. He was dressed in a brown suit and he had a grayish moustache. In his hands he was holding a certificate.

"Thank you, Teacher," the blonde haired girl said politely. Teacher just smiled as he headed back to the wall. The smile finally returned to Zelda's face as she said, "I hereby recognize Link as our new Royal Engineer! Work hard for we depend on you, Link!"

Link watched as Zelda extended her hand toward him, the one that held the certificate. Realizing that it was his to take, he jumped to his feet and happily accepted it. At the moment, he didn't care if Chancellor Cole said anything about him being ill-mannered! He finally had his Royal Engineer Certificate!

Princess Zelda looked around, making sure that no one else would notice what she was about to do. She then quickly took out an envelope out of her pocket. As she walked toward Link, it looked like he was about to open his mouth to say something.

"Shh, don't say a word right now," the Princess whispered, handing the letter over to Link. "Take this, but don't read it right now. Wait until later. Oh, and beware the Chancellor."

Link slowly nodded as he put the envelope in his pocket. He watched as Zelda walked over to where Teacher stood. After a moment they left the room. He then turned his attention to Cole; the words the Princess just said seemed to stick out in his mind.

"The ceremony is over, so I suggest you hurry along," the Chancellor said. "You could go and polish your train or something. Not that it matters much." He sent a grin in Link's direction, and the young man almost took a step backwards when he saw that the man's teeth looked all pointy and sharp. "It will be useless before long, anyway."

The moment Cole left the throne room Link shook his head. "Beware the Chancellor," he murmured. Looking around Link noticed that he was the last to leave the throne room. He walked towards the exit, passing the private and made his way down the nearest hallway.

After making sure that he was alone, he took out the envelope and opened it. Inside he found that there were two pieces of paper. Taking both of them out, he unfolded the first one and discovered that it was a letter written in the Princess' handwriting.

_"I have a favor to ask of you in person. Follow the secret path on the map, it will allow you to make your way to my quarters undetected. Come as fast as you can and don't let anyone see you! _

_Princess Zelda."_

Link folded the note and put it back in the envelope. After putting it back in his pocket, he looked at the other piece of paper. No doubt this was the map that the Princess had mentioned in her letter. It must be important if she would ask someone like him to come and see her!

"Beware the Chancellor, and don't let anyone see you," he whispered to himself. "I think I can do that."

* * *

Christy wasn't getting very far and if she had to be honest with herself, all she had done so far was reach a bush to hide in. She didn't know the castle's layout and that wasn't helping her much. She had heard some talk about some sort of a graduation ceremony earlier, but decided it was best to stay hidden instead of look. Since then, she hadn't made a single move.

At first, she almost forgot why she even came here, until she remembered what she heard back at the Third Rail. The Spirit Tracks were vanishing, and if they vanished completely, then she wouldn't have a way home!

"No more stalling," the brunette whispered to herself. "I have to try to get into the castle."

The girl peeked out of her bush to get a look of her surroundings. As she did, her brown eyes widened and she quickly pulled her head back in again. She had just seen one of the guards, but she almost couldn't believe what she was seeing! The guard was clothed in green, and even wore light brown boots. The hat looked a little different, she had to admit, but the clothes on the guard reminded her of Link's clothes!

Keeping her thoughts to herself about how weird that seemed, she peeked out again. If she was careful, maybe she could reach that long bush that was to her left. When she was sure that no one could see her, she got up and rushed towards it as quickly as she could.

Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough.

"Hey, where do you think you are going?" a man's voice asked from behind her. He ran towards her with his spear at the ready, just in case she was hostile.

Christy turned and looked at the guard a little nervously. "I'm… not doing anything…" she said softly.

"What is going on out here?" another male voice suddenly asked. When Christy turned to face to one who spoke, she couldn't help staring at this man. She couldn't help thinking how odd he looked to her. He was rather short, and wore red clothes with a yellow belt and a green jacket. He had orange hair, black eyes, a moustache and pointed ears as well.

However, that wasn't the odd thing about this guy. What seemed to be odd to her was the fact he was wearing two green top hats. Not only was it odd, but she couldn't help think that it looked suspicious. She had never seen anyone wearing two top hats on either side of his head like that!

"Sorry for the disturbance, Chancellor Cole," the soldier in the green clothes apologized. "But I saw this girl in the strange clothing rushing off after getting out the bush over there." He pointed to the bush that Christy had come out of.

"Well, I do know that it is suspicious of me to do that," Christy admitted slowly. "But, I had a very good reason to!"

"First I have to go through such a pointless ceremony, and now this," Cole murmured. "I really don't have the time for something like this. What are you waiting for, solider?"

The soldier just nodded and stepped toward Christy, grabbing her arm. "Hey, watch it!" she cried as the man in the green soldier clothes took her outside of the castle walls.

Without a word, he released her, and headed back to his post.

The brunette rubbed her arm where she had been grabbed. "Okay… sneaking into the castle isn't going to work for me," she murmured. "But now what am I going to do? At this rate, I won't get inside to see Princess Zelda."

"Hey, you!" a voice called from behind the girl.

She groaned softly and turned around to face the man that spoke. Unlike before however, she had to look up this time. Who was this guy? The way he was dressed reminded her of a pirate!

"You just came from the castle, didn't you?" the man demanded. "Have you seen Link?"

"Link?" Christy repeated slowly. She didn't expect to hear that name mentioned. So he was at the castle too? She shook her head. "No, I didn't. I didn't even really get into the castle, honestly."

The man sighed softly. "The Royal Engineer Graduation Ceremony should be over by now," he remarked. "What is taking him so long?"

"_Royal Engineer Graduation Ceremony?"_ the brunette thought to herself. _"Was that the ceremony I heard them talking about earlier? And is it Link's ceremony? I've never heard of Link as an engineer before!"_

_

* * *

_

Link looked at the map and slowly nodded his head. Right here seemed to be the place alright. The young man had made it to the second floor of the castle without being seen. Before him was a flight of stairs that went upward. After looking over the corner to make sure he couldn't be seen, he folded the map and placed it in his pocket. Then very carefully, he walked up the stairs.

As he got closer, he could hear a beautiful sound. He could hear the different notes being played into a wonderful melody. It had been some time since he had heard such a sound, and the closer he got, the louder the sound was. When he finally reached the top, he pushed open the wooden door.

The room itself was small, yet it was well furnished; a red carpet covered the floor, a conformable bed, and there was even a dresser and a table. Standing next to the wooden table was Princess Zelda, with her back turned to the young man.

Link stood there for a moment and allowed himself to listen to the music. He didn't want to disturb the Princess, and it was obvious she was playing some sort of instrument. After a while, she stopped playing and turned to face the young man. In her hands were some wooden pipes that were actually known as pan flute.

"Oh, Link! There you are! I'm so glad you could make it. None of the guards saw you, did they?"

Link smiled as he approached the Princess. "No, they didn't. And I didn't run into Chancellor Cole either."

"Oh, that's great!" Zelda exclaimed as she sighed in relief. "Listen, you are the only one that can help me."

"Me?" Link questioned, pointing to himself in surprise. "You need my help, for what?"

"You know that the Tower of Spirits have protected our kingdom for ages, right?" Zelda asked the young man.

"Yeah, I know about that," Link agreed nodding his head. "The Tower of Spirits connects the Spirit Tracks that cover the land."

"That's right," the Princess replied. "And have you noticed that they seem to be vanishing from everywhere?"

The young man shook his head. "I didn't really notice it. But I have heard some people talking about it."

"I see," Zelda murmured. "Well, I think that something must have happened to the Tower of Spirits to cause all this. I wish to investigate, and want to meet the sage that they say guards the tower. I'm sure she could shed some light on what is happening here."

The Princess suddenly sighed and put her hand to her chin. "However, I have a problem. Chancellor Cole forbids me to leave the castle. Says it's about 'safety concerns.' However, I think he doesn't want me to go to the tower. I'm not sure why, but I think he's hiding something. I have a feeling that something awful is going to happen."

Now that Zelda mentioned it, Link had a terrible feeling about it as well. If the Spirit Tracks were truly disappearing, then there was bound to be trouble, and not just because people wouldn't be able to use their trains for transport.

"This is why I need to get to the Tower of Spirits!" Princess Zelda went on. "So, I was wondering if you could take me on your train."

Link didn't even really think about it as he nodded his head. "Okay."

"Thank you so much, Link!" Zelda gushed happily. Putting the pan flute on the table, she rushed over to her bed, and pulled back her blanket, showing a pile of clothes. There was a green tunic, a black belt, white pants, a pair of brown boots, and a green hat.

"This is a recruit uniform," the Princess explained. "I took it when no one was looking. You should put this on right away! The guards will think you are one of them if you wear it!"

Link smiled to himself as he picked up the clothes. That will make it easier for him, but probably not Zelda though. If what Zelda said about Cole was true, most likely the soldiers wouldn't be happy to see their Princess trying to leave the grounds.

But he tried to stay positive about the situation. After all, if he could sneak to the Princess' room, surely they could sneak out!

* * *

Christy had to keep herself from blurting out some things as she talked to this man named Alfonzo. The fact that Link was going to be engineer really surprised her. From what she could understand, this man had been Link's mentor and teacher when it came to being an engineer.

When he asked about her, she was honest that she was sneaking into the castle. But she also explained, before he tried to accuse her, that all she wanted to do was meet with Princess Zelda. She had a problem, and she was sure that the Princess herself would be able to help her.

Before she could go on however, Alfonzo called out, looking passed the brown haired girl. "What took you so long, Link? Did you really keep me waiting just so you could change clothes?"

Christy turned around and gasped when she saw Link standing there. He didn't look like an engineer that is for sure! He was dressed like one of the guards she saw at the castle! And nearby, she saw another familiar person, Princess Zelda!

"Oh, Your Highness!" Alfonzo cried. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Alfonzo," Zelda greeted with a smile. "Have you been well? I'm sorry we haven't spoken since you left the castle guard. You used to bellow orders across the courtyard, and honestly, I miss that."

The man reached up and slowly rubbed the back of his neck. "You are too kind, Your Highness. I'm sure hearing me yell all day was not pleasant. However, you shouldn't distract me with the old days." Alfonzo lowered his hand and looked between Link and Zelda. "I'll just come right out and ask; what are you doing out here without a proper escort? Do you have something to do with this, Link?"

"She asked for my help!" Link exclaimed. "That's why I did it!"

"That's right," Zelda agreed, nodding her head. "And I would like to ask for your help too, Alfonzo. I would feel much safer if you were by my side. Could you come with us to the Tower of Spirits?"

Christy, who had remained silent because she didn't know what to say, was even more surprised. Alfonzo had been part of the Royal Guard before? Had she known that, she would have asked for his help! Yet, with the way he was dressed, she never would have suspected it. But the way that Zelda spoke to this man told her that he was definitely trustworthy.

"The Tower of Spirits?" Alfonzo asked. "Whatever for?"

"We don't have time to talk about it now," Zelda replied. "I'll tell you on the way."

Before Alfonzo could speak, Christy quickly took a step forward. "Please, could you take me with you too?"

Link looked toward the brunette and eyed her curiously. "Do you have to go to the tower as well?"

"Well, not really," the brown haired girl confessed. "But, I've come a really long way. And it was suggested that I meet with Princess Zelda. It's very important."

"You need to see me?" Zelda repeated questioningly.

"Well, yes," Christy said slowly. "But you look serious about going to this Tower of Spirits place. That's why I want to come along." She had to admit, the Princess seemed a bit younger than she expected, maybe twelve or something like that. But still, she had known every Zelda to be wise, so surely she would know something!

"I don't see why not," Zelda agreed with a nod of her head. "How about you, Alfonzo?"

"I don't know," Alfonzo murmured. "What if something happens?"

Christy nervously stepped forward. "Well, this may not be my place to say, exactly," she admitted. "But, I'll bet that is the reason she wants you along."

Zelda nodded quickly. "She's right, Alfonzo. You were once the best swordsman in the whole kingdom!"

"That was a long time ago," the man remarked. "Now, I'm an engineer living in the countryside. I can't be more than that. But, I'll come along with you if you wish."

"Thank you, Alfonzo! Now let's go to the Tower of Spirits!" Zelda exclaimed. "All aboard!"

"That's my line," Alfonzo murmured, causing Christy to giggle slightly.

Christy, Zelda and Alfonzo walked into the wooden steam train. Link jumped to the gear and saluted, then he started moving the train. The brunette had never seen anyone actually salute when going into a train before, but that was not the point.

As the train chugged forward, Princess Zelda told the other two what she told Link; that she was sure that something may be happening to the tower, which would explain why the Spirit Tracks were disappearing. Christy was shocked to hear that the Tower of Spirits had a connection to the tracks, but it proved her theory. If Zelda knew about this, then she would probably know how to fix her problem!

Just before she could open her mouth to speak, she heard Link gasping from up front. Slamming on the emergency brake, they were forced to come to a stop. The train shook, causing the passengers to fall down inside the passenger car, while Link fell to the grass below, staring at the blue sky with a dizzy look on his face.

The passengers slowly got off of the train, and Christy looked to the ground. "Oh, no!" she gasped in horror. "The Spirit Tracks disappeared!"

"Your Highness!" Alfonzo cried as he pointed to the tower in the distance. "Something is happening to the Tower of Spirits!"

Link slowly got his feet and joined the others as they watched what was happening. A dark cloud appeared above the Tower of Spirits. It spiraled downward and the darkness that began to surrounded it brought out some electricity, causing the tower to break apart! The other pieces continued to float above the piece that was still at the bottom.

The darkness thickened as something seemed to come out of the cloud. It was a strange, yet at the same time, horrifying sight. What appeared to be a black train came out of the cloud, and it had lights for eyes and even a nose. Everyone ducked as it got closer to them and over their heads.

"Are you out for a leisurely stroll, Your Highness?" asked a familiar voice as the group got their feet. "You know that is not allowed."

"Allowed by who?" Zelda demanded, looking toward the voice that had spoken. "You, Chancellor Cole?"

The darkness let up a little bit, allowing the foursome to see the short chancellor. However, what happened next, startled everyone. He threw his head back as the darkness surrounded him briefly, causing his two hats to fall off, revealing two yellow horns on the top of his head!

"Of course! Who do you think is in charge?"

Everyone gasped, and Christy's hand shot to her mouth. She thought the two hats were suspicious, but she didn't think that they were hiding horns on his head!

A tall man with black hair came forward as Cole let out a breath. "My goodness, pretending to be human is exhausting," the short man murmured. "I never knew that 'chancellor' was just another word for 'royal babysitter!' I wanted to continue the ruse a bit longer. But you pushed me to this, Princess!" He stared at Princess Zelda directly. "And bringing these three doesn't help either."

"What are you talking about?" Zelda demanded.

For a brief moment, Cole looked shocked. He sighed and started to pace a bit. "I'm talking about your meddling. But the time is finally at hand, now that those tracks are disappearing! All we need now is…" He looked back to the Princess again, and gave her the same toothy grin he gave Link earlier. "A little help from you, Your Highness!"

Zelda gasped in horror, but Alfonzo stepped in front of her and grabbed his sword, holding it by its scabbard. "I don't know who these two are, but I'd be happy to teach them some manners, with your permission, Your Highness!"

Cole laughed as he began to fly into the air. "How gallant! How brave! How incredibly foolhardy!"

"Enough out of you!" Alfonzo exclaimed as he removed his sword from its sheath. "For generations, my family has served the Royal House!"

Cole just grinned as he turned his gaze to the taller man, whose clothes were mostly dark brown, with red and blue circles on the top right of his shirt and his tan pants. His mouth and nose was covered by a green cloth, his eyes were a gray color, had a gauntlet on his left hand and his black hair was in a ponytail.

"Melodrama bores me. Byrne, will you kindly take care of this fool?" questioned the short man.

"This man speaks the truth, Cole," the man named Byrne remarked. "His movements are not those of an amateur. But he is only human."

Byrne advanced on Alfonzo, and for a moment, they moved in a circle, staring each other down. Then Alfonzo leaped forward, attacking the other man. The black haired one easily blocked the blows with the gauntlet he wore.

"I told you that I will protect the Princess at any cost!" Alfonzo exclaimed.

"And I told you, you are only human," the other man countered. Blocking a few more strikes, he found an opening, and punched Alfonzo hard in the chest, causing the man to fly backwards and land on the stream train. He had been hit with such force that he was knocked out the moment he hit the top of the passenger car.

Alfonzo's three companions gasped in alarm when they saw that happen. The kingdom's best swordsman, bested so easily?

Cole laughed as he flew around in the air. "You know how to put on a show, Byrne!"

"It was hardly a fair fight, Cole," Byrne remarked as he headed toward Zelda.

"Help me, Link!" Zelda cried, scared for her life.

Link rushed forward the moment he heard the Princess cry out, and held his arms outstretched. However, Byrne wasted no time and he swatted Link to the side easily. The two girls gasped as the young man was hurled backward to the ground, and he knocked out.

"Stay away from me!" the Princess cried in terror.

Before Christy could even make a move, Cole flew toward Zelda and balls of purple energy came from his hands. They hit Zelda in full force, causing her to cry out and collapse. Her body went limp and a blue light came out of Zelda, and headed toward the castle quickly.

"Well done, Byrne! That takes care of the first step of our plan!" Cole said gleefully.

"No!"

Christy's shout alerted the two that she was still standing. She hadn't made a move because she was really scared, and she didn't expect this to happen to her. But seeing what happened to Alfonzo, Link and Zelda, she couldn't help but cry out.

For the briefest instant, a look of surprise seemed to fill Byrne's eyes, but he quickly got rid of it and narrowed his eyes. He slowly approached the girl, who backed up a little and fell off of her feet, after her foot connected with a small rock. He didn't stop until he was standing above her. He looked into the girl's terrified brown eyes before he turned his gaze to her neck.

"Impossible," he murmured. "There is no way. How did someone like you come across the Spirit Charm?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Zelda series.

"Sp… Spirit Charm?" Christy repeated nervously. What was this guy talking about? Instead of answering, Byrne pointed to the blue and pink gem she was wearing around her neck. At just that moment, the gem began to glow, startling the brown haired girl. "W… what is going on?!"

"The power held within the Spirit Charm is awakening," Byrne remarked. "You are not worthy to have such power."

Christy's eyes widened as the man knelt down towards her, realizing that he planned to take the charm from her; she quickly wrapped her hands around the gem protecting it from his grasp. "No! You can't have it! My boyfriend gave this to me!"

Even if this man was telling the truth, and this thing was what he called the Spirit Charm, there was no way she would hand it over to him! The charm was very precious to her, and there was no way she was going to give it up now!

Just when it looked like Byrne was going to grab her hands and take them off of the charm, Cole's voice called to him. "We don't have time to worry about this girl! We must go before we're seen!"

Byrne looked over his shoulder to look at the short, flying man and rose to his feet. Without another word, he walked over to Zelda's fallen body and picked her up, tucking her under one arm. He glanced back to the girl on the ground, and gazed at the charm again.

"I'll be back for you," he said as he turned and followed Cole in the direction of Tower of Spirits.

A gasp escaped Christy's lips when she heard the man say that. He was coming back for her? Was it because of the charm she was wearing? Her body began to tremble as thoughts poured themselves into her mind.

At this point, she went along with being Hyrule. It had looked different than anything on her world, after all! But now, she didn't want to believe she was in this place. Maybe if she closed her eyes, she would find out that this was all a dream.

Just as the brunette was about to close her chocolate brown eyes, she heard a soft moan coming from nearby. Turning her head to the source of the sound, she found Link. His blue eyes were open a little, and he held his hand up for a bit, but seemed to lose consciousness not long later.

Christy closed her eyes for a minute, and though she wanted it to be nothing more than a dream, something told her this was real. She quickly opened her eyes and got to her feet, rushing to Link's side. She looked over to where she assumed Cole and Byrne were, but they were long gone.

"I don't like this," the girl murmured weakly as she looked back at Link, and then turned her gaze to Alfonzo. The two were out cold, and Cole and Byrne left with Princess Zelda. Slowly Christy reached up to her neck, and felt the charm under her grasp.

As soon as she touched it, she remembered what Byrne said. He was going to come back for her. The thought scared her more than anything at this point. It's not like she could protect herself from them.

"What happened here?" a voice suddenly asked.

Christy gasped, unable to stop herself. But when she turned to face the voice, she found out that the one who spoke was a guard from the castle. At least, she was sure this man was a guard, considering the green clothes he was wearing.

It was then that she noticed that there were many other guards there as well, along with an older man wearing a brown suit. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't even see them coming. "Well, um…"

"We noticed that Princess Zelda was missing, along with Chancellor Cole too," another guard went on. "We were looking for them when we heard all the commotion. We would have been here much sooner, but the darkness got in the way."

"He took her," Christy said slowly, trying to find her voice. "Chancellor Cole… he is really a monster! There is another man with him, and he knocked out Alfonzo and Link! Then they did something to Princess Zelda and…"

The girl was cut off when she heard the soldiers laughing at her. Even the old man joined along. "You must be pulling our leg," the old man remarked, unable to stop his laughter.

"I'm serious!" Christy protested.

"Why should we believe you?" one of the soldiers suddenly questioned. The laughter died down as the one who spoke approached the girl. He looked her over very carefully, causing the brunette to back up from the guard's intense gaze.

"It's obvious that you are not from Hyrule," he went on. "I've never seen clothes like yours before. You are obviously a foreigner."

"How do we know you didn't do anything to them?" another guard piped up. "For all we know, you did something to both the Princess and the Chancellor!"

Christy gulped and backed up a couple more steps. "Give me a break!" she cried. "If I had done something to them, do you think I would still be here?!"

Before anyone could argue that it was possible she could be with a group of kidnappers, that could have been left behind to deal with the two that were unconscious, another guard, and an important one from the look of his hat, stepped forward. "This girl doesn't look like the kind to cause trouble. And whether she is telling the truth or not doesn't matter at this point." He pointed out Link and Alfonzo. "We have to get these two back to the castle so they can recover!"

"Of course, Captain Russell!" the soldiers said in unison.

Christy watched as the guards went for Link and Alfonzo. Even as they did, she grabbed the charm again, and couldn't help shaking. The words of Byrne echoed in her head. If she was alone, he could get to her easily. But, if she was with a larger group, then maybe she would be better protected.

"Um, excuse me," the brunette spoke up. "Um, Captain Russell, I was wondering if I could come to the castle too. Even for just a little while."

Russell looked into the girl's eyes and smiled at her. "They say you can learn a lot by a person's eyes. Come on, now!"

* * *

Inside the castle was absolutely breathtaking. Gleaming stone walls sparkled as though they were polished. The soft red carpet covering the floor and the light coming through the window was something that Christy had never seen before.

But she wasn't in the mood to admire anything at this point.

The girl sat in the infirmary, looking at Link and Alfonzo every now and then, but they never stirred. There was another guard and the old man, whom was called Teacher for some reason, in the room as well, but they left. They promised to return soon however. Christy sighed quietly to herself as she eyed the beds that they were laying on. Now that she thought about it, she felt so helpless.

Alfonzo tried to protect Zelda, and even Link did, though he didn't have a weapon like his mentor. However, she had been paralyzed with fear, and didn't even try to make a move to stop Cole and Byrne.

There were many things she didn't understand now. When Christy met that mysterious woman, she told her to meet Princess Zelda. And even though she did, it wasn't the meeting that she had expected. The Spirit Tracks vanished underneath Link's train, and then they were attacked. Princess Zelda was taken away, just as Cole wanted.

Not that anyone here would believe her though. Russell was the only one who didn't say anything against her, but the other guards refused to listen. According to them, Chancellor Cole had been in Hyrule Castle for many years now. They couldn't accept the fact that Cole had kidnapped their beloved Princess. They seemed to have the utmost trust in him.

The brunette sighed again. Even though it bothered her that they wouldn't listen, at the same time, she understood. Why should they believe someone that didn't even know, someone who wasn't even from Hyrule? If only there was someone who knew her story and could back her up.

That was when she remembered Link and Alfonzo. Of course! They were with her when it happened! They would have to believe her!

Then a frown crossed her face. Alfonzo sounded like she didn't even know of Chancellor Cole when they were confronted earlier. And yet, the soldiers around here seemed to know Cole well, or so they thought they did anyway. Sure, she remembered Princess Zelda saying that she missed hearing him bellow orders in the castle courtyard, but how long ago was that? When did Cole come into play?

Not wanting to think about it, she wrapped her hands around her charm, and clutched it close to her chest. "I wish this was all a dream," she murmured.

"Unfortunately for you, this is no dream," a mysterious, yet familiar, voice said, startling her.

Christy looked up in surprise, seeing the mysterious woman she met yesterday. "How did you get in here?" she asked, removing her hands from the charm. "After what has been going on… the soldiers here… wait, how did you get passed that one guard and Teacher?"

"I have my ways," the woman replied. "Now, you seem to be hoping that this is all a dream. But I regret to inform you that this is very real."

"I was afraid of that," Christy said softly. "But still…"

"You did as I told you to do," the woman interrupted. "You came to the castle to seek out Princess Zelda's aid. But now…" The strange woman chuckled slightly. "Things didn't go exactly as you thought they would, did they?"

Christy wished she could back up, but it was difficult because she was still sitting down on a chair near the wall. So instead she sort of cringed backward. "Did you know this would happen?" she asked nervously.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," the woman said mysteriously. "But now isn't the time to discuss this. I've come with a message."

"You've come with a message?" Christy repeated.

"Yes. You're going to be going on a journey soon. It will be a long and hard one. You won't be alone, but there is one thing you must never forget." The mysterious woman pointed to the charm around Christy's neck. "Never, ever remove that charm. If the charm is ever taken from you…"

Christy looked down at the gem on her necklace, waiting for the mystery woman to finish her sentence. And yet at the same time, she almost didn't want to hear it.

"Let's just say, something bad will happen."

"Is that all you're going to say?" the brunette asked, looking nervous. "I mean, that's pretty vague."

"I don't wish to explain any more at this time," the woman remarked.

"But I need to know this," Christy said quickly. "I mean I'm in big trouble and…" It was then that something else the woman said seemed to pop into her mind. "Wait, you said I would be going on a journey right? I couldn't even protect Zelda so…"

"As I said before, you will not be alone," the woman interrupted. "Listen to me very carefully. If you want your questions answered, especially about the charm you wear, you must make your way to the Tower of Spirits."

"The Tower of Spirits?" the brunette repeated. "We were trying to go there, but…"

The strange woman didn't even let the girl finish what she was saying, and this time vanished from sight. Christy's eyes widened when she saw that happen. Well, that would explain how she was able to get in without anyone seeing her!

A moan suddenly came from one of the beds and Christy turned her gaze. A look of relief filled her eyes when she saw Link slowly sit up. "You're awake!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the boy.

At first, Link looked startled to see Christy rush up to him the way she did. "Yeah, seems so," he agreed.

Christy sighed and shook her head a bit. "I'm sorry if I startled you. It's just… well, a lot happened."

"What happened to Princess Zelda?" Link suddenly asked.

Christy shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Link. I couldn't stop them from taking her away. I was so afraid that I couldn't even move."

Link groaned a little and slowly lowered his head. "I see. Then I wasn't dreaming that last part when I saw them take her away."

"_That was what he saw before?"_ the brunette thought to herself. It would make sense if he did. It would explain why he lifted his hand.

"We have to do something!" Link exclaimed suddenly. "We have to tell someone!"

"I already did," Christy said softly. "But they won't believe me. They say that Chancellor Cole has been around for years, so they don't believe that he did anything."

"That was when you were alone," Link told the girl. "Maybe they would listen to the both of us."

Christy smiled a little, remembering how she wanted to be backed up earlier. She knew that Link could do that, but the question was would anyone even believe them?

And what was worse, that man Byrne said that he was going to come back for the brunette, most likely to steal her charm, but it made her incredibly jumpy. But then she remembered what that mysterious woman said; that she was not alone.

It was then she realized something else, and she felt foolish for not thinking of it sooner. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I introduced myself. My name is Christy."

"Nice to meet you," Link said with a smile. "Now, let's see if we can convince everyone."


End file.
